Avian habitat selection in space and time: Connecting individual behaviours to population patterns

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Variation in behaviour among individuals in different situations is crucial to understanding population ecology. Similarly, ignoring the effects of density-dependence and population processes on animal behaviour limits our ability to understand why animals select particular habitat elements. To gain insight into why animals select one habitat element over another requires information on the biotic processes occurring within habitat elements and how this differs across spatial scales. Ecologists have long recognized the connections between optimal foraging, Fretwell's behavioural models of ideal habitat selection, and the importance of density-dependence in population ecology. However, empirical tests that demonstrate these connections remain limited. My research program is centered on using empirical tests and computer simulation tools to make these connections, as well as using these theories to improve conservation decision making. In this proposal I focus on:***1) The role of personality as a factor influencing competitive ability and how this influences 2nd and 3rd order habitat selection in a prairie raptor system;***2) Developing ways of identifying unique behaviours (foraging, nest defence) from spatial movement data with the goal of determining how competition influences foraging;***3) Understand the trade-offs between foraging and nest vigilance in areas with high vs low food availability and with and without competitors;***4) Building on a past body of work to provide a general model of when birds avoid or select habitat edges. New technologies are being applied to improve our understanding of space use and bird abundance for a large number of boreal species with the goal of evaluating how regional density, personality, and variation in food influences edge effects;***5) Evaluating the role of spatial scale and sampling effort as factors influencing whether 2nd and 3rd order selection behaviours accurately predict population-level responses.***HQP are central to my research program. In the past 6 years I have provided opportunities to ~200 HQP. I foresee similar numbers of students being trained in the next cycle. The success of my program is dependent on developing a strongly-coordinated system of collaborative student projects that individually are unique but when integrated provide greater opportunities to reveal fundamental insights into linkages between behavioural, population, conservation, and landscape ecology. As evidenced by my publication record and the employability of past students, this approach creates well-rounded individuals with competencies in both applied and theoretical ecology. The DG program provides critical funds that allow my students to expand their applied work beyond basic trend and status information to test specific hypotheses about ecological theory and the processes that drive patterns of avian diversity at different spatial scales.**